Social, societal and environmental concerns form the central issue for corporate economic sustainability today. The question of corporate social responsibility, i.e. sustainable development activities in the group’s strategy, has emerged in a structured way since the early nineties.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsch Bahn, a state-owned company for which the concept of CSR is central, DB Schenker, a world leader in transport and logistics, has acknowledged its social responsibility by reaffirming its commitment to excellence in an effort to be exemplary in its policy on environmental, social and economic responsibility. Our organisation supports SMEs and large groups in their choice of goods transportation, where concern for the environment is now a challenge to the traditional triptych of cost, quality and time. Consequently, the company is aware of how important it is to have an integrated worldwide ‘green’ network in order to satisfy customers, remain competitive and preserve a competitive advantage due to CSR. This commitment is an integral part of the group’s DB 2020+ strategy, the aim of which is to be a profitable (quality) leader, a top employer and an environmental pioneer. Our sustainable development management system applies to all our activities and is based on continuous improvement of our processes.

As Director of CSR at DB Schenker France & North Africa (with 30 years’ experience in transport and logistics in every section of the organisation), my mission is to support the transformation of our economic model to reduce our negative externalities, as revealed by a materiality analysis based on the CSR Logistics benchmark DGITM (Attractiveness, Biodiversity, Local pollutants, Greenhouse gases, Noise, Waste, etc.).

The role of a CSR department is to act on a hierarchical level and also on an operational level within an organisation, to stimulate the process of compliance on issues related to environmental, ethical, social, societal, governance aspects, etc., and therefore also economic aspects, with all stakeholders.

In terms of concrete action on the environmental issue, for example, the DB group has set a target of 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 (Base 100 = 2006).

More broadly, our CSR approach is to:

• always act in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements. We are mindful to be committed in our activities, going beyond these requirements and constantly updating our knowledge and expertise.
• pay particular attention to reducing the environmental impact of our own activities and those of our subcontractors. The assessment, monitoring and reduction of emissions, energy consumption and waste production are at the top of our list of priorities.
• prioritise human capital in areas such as training, diversity and well-being at work; a major asset that we place at the heart of our priorities. Continuous development of the workforce is the vector for our value creation.
• trust in the dependability and involvement of every stakeholder, including economic stakeholders (customers, suppliers, etc.), society stakeholders (associations, residents, etc.) and organisational stakeholders (employees, unions, etc.). We work closely with all of these, acting in accordance with our ethical principles in every situation.

As a tangible measure, we have set up last-mile deliveries in 11 French cities – Rennes, Nantes, Angers, Lorient, Saint Malo, Bordeaux, Chartres, Strasbourg, Lille, Le Touquet and Amiens, using 250 Watt e-bikes in partnership with Triporteurs de l’Ouest. With over 8,000 shipments delivered per month, we plan to develop this carbon-free transport solution in a further 5 cities in early 2020, and eventually accomplish 10% of our deliveries using this type of ‘green’ solution.

For the last-mile deliveries carried out by truck in town centres in Ile de France from Gennevilliers (Hauts de Seines) and Rungis (Val de Marne), we have acquired two of the FUSO eCanter 7.5T electric HGV trucks from Mitsubishi, part of the HGV division of German group Daimler AG, the parent company of manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. This makes DB Schenker the first haulage company in France to have purchased this type of vehicle since it was launched in the USA in 2017, and put it in circulation. The trucks run for a relatively modest distance of between 97 and 129 kilometres on a single charge. They are intended mainly for urban use and short distances in terms of price/running cost, compared to vehicles with a combustion engine.

In addition, we are totally committed at DB Schenker to carrying out research and innovation for the sole purpose of sustainable development (CSR). The transition will only be achieved with partnerships such as the one we have secured with SprintProject, through which we are able to develop new solutions collectively.

Finally, although there is no obligation to publish CSR reports under the Grenelle II law of 2010, DB Schenker has produced one all the same (in French and English), to report on what actions we have taken in the social and environmental arena, around the issues of climate change, renewable energies, the policy against money laundering and fraud, transparency of information, the prevention of occupational risks, combating discrimination, waste recycling, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, etc.

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